Combination syringe, hot and cold pack appliance



Aug. 27, 1940. SPONSEL 2,213,057

COMBINATION SYRINGE, HOT AND COLD PACK APPLIANCE Filed Nov. 20, 1937 INVENTOR CARL J. SP

Patented Aug. 27, 1940 PATENT OFFICE 1 coMBINA'rroN SYRINGE, HOT AND COLD PACK APPLIANCE Carl J. Sponsel, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Walgreen 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application November 20, 1937, Serial No. 175,615

1 Claim.

1 This invention relates to therapeutic containers andmore particularly to a combination syringe, hot and cold. pack appliance, although certain features. thereof may be employed with equal advantage in a single. purpose rather than a combination therapeutic container. Itcontemplates more especially the provision of a novel container closure so as to effectively seal the contents without ofiering any appreciable obstruction in the use thereof.

Numerous types of combination therapeutic containers have heretofore been proposed, but these have not proven entirely satisfactory for universal use for syringe, hot and cold pack therapeutic purposes. Combination syringe and hot water bottles are common in the art. In rendering such capable of use as an ice pack, there is a requirement for an appreciably larger closure to permit the introduction of solids such as ice. With the increase in size of the closure there necessarily is increased obstruction occasioned by the provision of an orifice to detachably receive the closurefor hermetically sealing the contents.

With the teachings of the present invention, the unique arrangement of the stopper or closure .enables the usual rubber container body to be utilized without affording any appreciable obstruction as a syringe, hot water and cold ice pack appliance with the same effect as though such was designed specifically for each individual use. Reference to the combination should not be construed as a limitation, since the teachings of the present invention can be employed with advantage on single purpose therapeutic containers.

One object of the present invention is to simplify the construction and improve the operation of devices of the character described. Another object is to provide an improved combination syringe, hot and cold pack therapeutic container that serves as effectively as any one of these single purpose devices.

Still another object is to providea novel manner of forming a closure orifice in a substantially flat elongated container of flexible material impervious to water.

. A further object is to provide a large closure for detachable connection to a'correspondingly 50 formed and complemental orifice that normally is disposed within the body of a substantially fiat container without affording any appreciable external obstruction. I

Still a further object is to provide a threaded 56 orifice in a substantially elongated flexible conalong a longitudinal median line. preferably though not essentially comprises a threaded metallic sleeve which is molded, vultainer for normal disposition within the confines of the walls thereof to receive a substantially flush closure in full engaging position therewith.

A further object is to provide a substantially flat elongated container of flexible material im- 5 pervious to water with an orifice joined thereto by a reverse fold that serves to normally dispose such within the confines of a container to receive a substantially flush closure for detachable association therewith.

. Other objects and advantageswill appear from the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

In the drawing:. Figure 1 isa plan ,view of a therapeutic container embodying features of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front .view in elevation of .the container shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken substantially along line IIIIII of Figure l. 7

. Figure 4. is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line IV-IV of Figure 1 withthe exception that detachable .con-

fronting flanges are formed on the container body to serve as a shield for the stopper or tube nipple connection.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along line VV of Figure l with the exception that the orifice formed in the con- 3 tainer has been flexed from its normally colexpanse thanthe side edges l3 and M which are preferably rounded and of a comparatively narrow depth so far as the dimensional surface expanse of the top and bottom walls H and i2. This provides for confining a small quantity of hot or cold medium such as wateror ice over the greatest possible area expanse without being unduly heavy in weight to the discomfort of the user. p

As shown, the container ill terminates along a bottom edge 15 in a restricted orifice l6 disposed canized or otherwise joined for permanent connection to the rounded bottom edge I5. Any suitable form of plug or stopper having a metallic shank threaded to correspond with the interior of the sleeve hermetically seals the contents against discharge through the orifice IS. A flexible gasket l8 preferably envelops the threaded plug shank I! to rest against a closure I9 so as to insure the hermetic sealing against any possible leakage of contents.

The closure l9 preferably terminates in an apertured extremity 20 for connection of a flexible chain 2| thereto so as to anchor the plug |9 to a flap 22 constituting an extension of the top or bottom walls II and I2. In the present embodiment, the fiap 22 is an extension of the bottom wall |2, the chain 2| being connected thereto by means of a large metallic ring 23. Then, too, another enlarged flap 24 is formed on the container H] as an extension of the top wall II to serve as a hood that shields the stopper or plug [9 against contact with the bare skin of the user.

In the modified embodiment shown in Figure 4, the container I0 is formed with confronting flaps or hoods 22' and 24' of similar configuration and the plug l9 has its connecting chain 2| anchored to a rubber tongue 25 adhesively attached to or molded as an integral part of the interior wall of the lower flap or hood 22', the chain 2| having its enlarged ring extremity 23' projecting therethrough to serve as an anchor therefor. In this manner, the confronting flaps 22 and 24 more effectively serve as shields against any possible contact with the plug l9 when it is in full engaging position with the orifice l6.

To facilitate the connection and disconnection of the plug I9 or any other attachment for the orifice I6, the confronting hoods 22--24 are preferably separated by longitudinal edge slits 26 that render such more flexible and capable of separation with ease to accommodate the insertion and removal of the plug I9 or any other appliance that is connected to the orifice l6. It will be observed that the confronting hoods 22' and 24 terminate in converging arcuate extremities 22" and 24" so that the normal opening defined thereby is somewhat smaller than the plug l9 to insure the utmost protection against contact therewith as such can be extremely hot or cold owing to its metallic construction and the large coefficient of thermal conduction possessed by such materials.

Consequently, when it is desired to use the container l0 as a hot water pack or an ice pack, the plug I9 is fully engaged with the correspondingly threaded orifice l6. However, should it be desired to utilize the container ID as a part of a syringe for colonic irrigations, the plug I9 is disengaged from the orifice I 6' and a threaded tubular nipple 21 is substituted therefor. The tubular nipple 21 is provided with a threaded shank corresponding to and serving as a complement of the container orifice |6 or l6 while the other extremity has a shank 28 of reduced diameter provided with convolutions or ridges on the exterior peripheral surface thereof to 'frictionally retain a water conducting tube 29 thereon.

The rubber tube 29 leads to any one of different types of syringe tips 3|] usually formed of hard rubber. It will be apparent, therefore, that the container can be used as a syringe container or as hot or cold pack as will appear more fully hereinafter. In order to afford the introduction of solid thermal carrying mediums such as mashed ice and the like, the usual entrant orifice provided on the top edge of rubber bags and the like, cannot be utilized for ice packs. To this end, the top edge 3| of the container I0 is preferably though not essentially provided with a handle member 32 molded or otherwise formed thereon to constitute a wall support or a manual handling expedient.

The handle 32 is preferably formed of rubber that is vulcanized or constitutes an integral part of the container Ill for formation as a one-piece appliance. The entrant orifice of the container I0 is, in this instance, formed in the top wall proximate to the forward or upper edge 3| that is preferably though not essentially elongated outwardly as at 33 along the central portion of the edge 3|. This enables the formation of the handle member 32 and accommodates a comparatively large peripheral orifice 34 formed in the wall II and connected thereto by a reverse fold 35 to occupy substantially the entire interior depth of the container ID. A metallic sleeve 36 is Vulcanized or adhesively joined to the peripheral orifice 34.

The connection of the metallic sleeve 36 with the rubber orifice 34 is accomplished in the present embodiment by a thick fabric liner 3! that is of inverted U-shaped formation (Figure 5) to envelop the edge and sides of the rubber orifice 34 to serve as a reinforcement therefor and as a strong adhesive attaching liner capable of creating a permanent joinder with the external peripheral surface of the metallic sleeve 36 that contacts therewith. As shown, the metallic sleeve 36 has an interiorly formed thread 38 and the top edge thereof is outwardly flanged as at 39 to rest on the edge of the rubber orifice with the adhesive liner 31 disposed therebetween.

The threaded metallic sleeve 36 defining the entrant orifice of the container I0 is of a depth that corresponds with that of the container ID for normal disposition within the confines thereof between the top and bottom walls ||-|2 owing to the reverse fold 35 that connects the metallic sleeve 36 with the wall ll of the container I0. In consequence thereof, the metallic entrant orifice 34 normally is disposed below the wall ll of the container |0 so as to receive a correspondingly threaded shank 40 having a substantially flat metallic cap 4| formed thereon. A suitable gasket 42 envelops the closure shank 40 so as to serve as a seat against the flanged peripheral edge 39 of the metallic entrant orifice sleeve 36, thereby effectively sealing the contents against leakage when the cap 4| has its shank 40 fully engaged with the entrant orifice sleeve 36. To this end, the closure 4| has its edge knurled as at 43 to facilitate the engagement and disengagement between the threads 38-40 on the sleeve 36 and shank 40, respectively.

It will be noted that the closure cap 4| is only slightly arcuate to present a substantially flat surface that will lie almost flush with the top wall II of the container ||l, thereby providing negligible or no obstruction in the normal use of the container II] as a hot water pack or cold ice pack appliance. To fill the container II], it is only necessary to remove the closure cap 4| and displace the orifice sleeve 36 upwardly beyond the normal confines of the container ID. This is rendered possible by the reverse fold 35 (see Figure 5) so that ice, water or other thermal carrying mediums may be incorporated therein depending upon the use or purpose for which the 15 container I0 is to be utilized at any particular time.

After the container III has been properly filled to the desired capacity (preferably not full capacity) the closure cap 4| is fully engaged with the sleeve 36 and permitted to assume the position within the confines of the container I!) (Figures 1, 2 and 3) so that it can be utilized as a hot water pack or cold pack without the closure 4! providing any appreciable obstruction and yet affording a sufficiently large opening to readily admit solid as Well as liquid contents. While forming no part of the invention, it is advantageous to provide a closure anchoring chain 43 for rotative connection to a stud 44 fixed to the top axial center of the closure cap 4!. Consequently, connection between the chain 43 and the cap stud 44 is effected by means of a clip 45 anchored to the extremity of the chain 43 and having a large end that rotatively engages the stud 44 beneath the swaged hood thereof.

The other end of the chain 43 is connected to a split ring 46 that resiliently engages the interior of the entrant orifice 34 reinforced by its liner 31. This always retains the closure cap 4! in position proximate to the orifice 34 against loss or displacement. It will be apparent from the foregoing description that a novel syringe, hot and cold pack container has been provided that serves effectively each purpose individually and collectively in an effective manner without any appreciably increased expense in container construction.

Various changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention herein specifically described without departing from or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention or any features thereof, and nothing herein shall be construed as limitations upon the invention, its concept or structural embodiment as to the whole or any part thereof except as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

In an enclosed rubber container characterized by substantially flat elongated walls in restricted spaced parallelism normally defining a shallow uniform depth container of flexible material impervious to water, there being a reverse integral peripheral flexible fold in one of said Walls to present a comparatively large circular upstanding wall defining an entrant orifice disposed within the shallow depth of said container and extensible thereabove for filling purposes, a threaded rigid orifice defining sleeve adhesively joined to said upstanding Wall to define a reinforced rigid opening normally lying within the shallow uniform container depth and below the top surface of said fiat container wall, and a substantially fiat circular metallic closure, said closure having a threaded shank for connection with said reinforced opening defining sleeve for sealing engagement therewith to normally lie within the depth of said container.

CARL J. SPONSEL. 

